Afraid
by Muldoon22
Summary: Natasha's encounter with the Hulk leaves her shaken. A certain solider comes to comfort her.
1. Chapter 1

She was crouched down, cowering in fear from the green monster. She knew that it was Banner and he couldn't control it, but she was terrified. _Her_. The Black Widow, considered to be a fearless and heartless person, was afraid.

_"Thor, Stark needs assistance in repairing the ship. The Hulk is on his way to Loki's cell, lure him into it. Hill, subdue Barton, he's on board somewhere." _she heard Fury order through the earpiece.

Even if he issued her a task, she probably wouldn't have moved, frozen in fear. And so she sat, as agents left and right ran past, attempting to control the current situation. One passed, but immediately backtracked, slowly. It was the captain.

"Ma'am?" Steve asked, lowering down to meet her at eye level. "Ma'am, are you alright?" he placed a hand on her shoulder and one on her arm in comfort. In any other case, she would lash out, slap away the hand and claim she was fine. This time was different. In a flash she wrapped her arms around his body and rested her chin on his shoulder, beginning to cry.

Steve was taken off guard, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"Was it Banner?" he whispered.

He felt her head move up and down, confirming his suspicion.

"It's ok. It's ok. He's gone now. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"He could come back." she sputtered.

"You'll be alright. You're safe with me."

She took comfort in those words and kept ahold of him for several more minutes.

"_Captain, the Hulk has been ejected out of the ship. And so has Thor. What's your location?" _

"I'm in the corridors. Loki escaped, I assume?"

"_Affirmative. Have you seen Agent Romanoff?"_

"I've got her. We'll meet you in a moment. Rogers out."

He deactivated his earpiece and turned his attention back to Natasha. "You ok?"

She sniffed. "I'm better."

Steve smiled slightly. "Ok. We should go meet up with Fury. You'd probably want to check on your friend."

"Yeah."

"Alright. Let's get you up."

He stood up with Natasha loosely letting go, but she still held a firm grip on his hands.

"You're strong. Remember that." he said, and with that he let her go and went off to meet Fury. Natasha remained for a moment before going off in the direction of the medical ward.

_The end. Or is it?_


	2. Chapter 2

She misses it. The warmth from his body and the comfort she felt while being in his arms. During and after the battle for New York all she wanted to do was to latch onto him, maybe for a second, maybe a minute, just so she could feel that warmth and comfort. She could compare Steve to a muscular teddy bear if she wanted to.

Her opportunity arrives a mere week after they captured Loki. There was a mission needed to be done in Russia. A defiant terrorist was creating super assassins in an abandoned factory, keen on taking down the US. She had Steve and Maria Hill with her. As they infiltrated the factory, it soon clued in this was where it all began for her. The terrorist was a continuer of the Red Room and when she happened across him, he subdued her and dragged her to an operating table.

"Natalia Romanova, it's been too long." he bantered, strapping her down.

"What the hell do you want from me?"

"Your blood. I'm going to drain you dry. There's a lot of good things inside of you that is being wasted. You were meant to spread misery. You failed us. And now you will suffer the consequences."

She struggled with the straps and began to cry out in fear, calling out Steve's name.

"Ah, the good captain is here? He's full of what I need too. When I finish with you, I shall seek him out and do the same.

She felt her heart beat rapidly. As he was about to begin his dissection, a familiar shield came hurtling towards him, striking him in the head.

"Move, and I will kill you." Steve said to the man, as Hill came in and restrained him. Steve turned his focus to Natasha, undoing her restraints.

"Its alright, Miss Romanoff, you're safe." he said, as he pulled the strap holding her waist down off. She immediately flung herself into his arms and welcomed the warmth and comfort. He was again taken off guard, but he did what he did last time and caressed her back with his hand. She did not cry this time, but she did shake a bit

"Captain, the quinjet is ready to depart." Hill announced.

"Thank you, Hill. Be there in 5 minutes." Hill acknowledged and exited. He slowly start to unravel himself from Natasha, but when she felt this, she tightened her grip.

"Please don't let go of me." she whispered.

He complied. "But how are we supposed to return to the jet?"

"Carry me?" she asked pleadingly.

"Ok." he moved his left arm under her legs and scooped her up, like a prince would to a damsel in distress. But she was no damsel. Just a woman, afraid and in need of comfort.

He carried her to the jet, with the curious look from Hill fixed on him and strapped her into a seat next to him. The plane made its journey from Russia to New York in 5 hours. In that time Natasha fell asleep and used Steve's shoulder as support. When the jet touched down atop Stark Tower, Hill exited, with Steve shaking Natasha gently to wake her up. "Hey, we've landed."

She woke as Steve unstrapped himself and began to exit. She grabbed onto his arm. "Steve, don't go."

He turned to her. "Ma'am, are you ok? You seem dependent."

"I just need someone to stay with me tonight. Will you stay with me?"

He looked into her eyes and saw loneliness, sadness and fear hybrided in them.

"Of course, Natasha. Ill stay with you."

She smiled. "That's the first time you called me that."

"Huh. I guess it's about I start addressing you as such, we've known each other for awhile now."

She nodded in agreement.

"You coming?" he asked. She unstrapped herself from her seat and stood up, latching her arm onto Steve's as they walked out of the jet.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, Steve-O." Tony said as he walked into the drinking room of Stark Tower, where only Steve sat. "You and Natalie. What's going on there?"

"What do you mean, Stark?" he responded, looking up from the paper.

"Well, aside from her being away on a mission today, she's attached to your hip 24/7. You dating or something?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Tony, we aren't dating. She just needs someone to comfort her sometimes."

"That sounds like a boyfriend, Capsicle."

"Does it?" Steve questioned, now reconsidering the situation.

"Yeah. But it's not like you knew, you've never been in a relationship before." Tony said.

"But we've never kissed. Therefore it's not a relationship." Steve said, pointedly.

"Steve. No matter how you view it, you're off the market." a second after he said that, Natasha walked in, coated in grime. Steve immediately stood up to tend to her.

"I'll give you two some alone time." the billionaire said, walking out as Steve carried Natasha to the couch and set her down.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We were going after our target when the factory beside us blew up. It flung me through a window and I was knocked out."

He looked at her head for any injuries.

"I think I only sprained my wrist." she said, indicating her left hand, to which Steve took into his.

"Yup, definitely a sprain." he got up to get the ice bucket. He reached into one of the cupboards and found a plastic bag. He filled the bag up with ice and brought it over to her, placing it on the sprained wrist.

"Thank you." she said, placing her head on his shoulder as she pressed the bag down on her wrist. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Steve spoke again.

"Natasha, I have to ask: why me?"

She looked at him in confusion. "Why you what?"

Steve twisted a little in his place to face her. "Well, whenever we go on a mission, or when you come back from one, you seek me out or fling yourself onto me. Is there any reason why?"

Natasha licked her lips. "Well, you're great comfort, Steve, first of all. Secondly, you don't make me feel foolish for getting into a state like I did when I was chased by the Hulk."

"Why would anyone make you feel foolish?"

"Because I'm supposed to be the fearless Black Widow. Nothing's supposed to scare me." she said, sounding embarrassed. Steve pulled her into a hug.

"Why do you ask anyway, Steve?"

"Well, Tony was just here and assumed we were in a relationship."

She looked up at him. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all, it's just I didn't think you wanted one."

"You never asked." she said, running her fingers up his chest.

"Do you want to go steady with me?"

"Thought you'd never ask." she said, kissing him tenderly.

_fin_


End file.
